Ex-Sonic Lewis suspended for failed steroid test

Former Sonics standout Rashard Lewis, now an All-Star with the Orlando Magic, has been suspended for the first 10 games of next season after testing positive for an elevated testosterone level, the NBA announced Thursday.

Rashard Lewis

The Orlando Sentinel has this report, quoting league sources saying Lewis took nutritional supplements that contained substances banned by the NBA and that it was “an honest mistake.”

Unfortunately for Lewis, that excuse has been used by many athletes who failed drug tests and later were discovered to have done something that wasn’t quite so innocent. So even if that happens to be true, the shadow of doubt will now hang overhead.

All we really know at this point is that Lewis has been dinged by the league for 10 games. I wouldn’t have projected the long, lanky Lewis to be a steroid abuser, but who knows anymore with athletes and performance-enhancing drugs?

What do you think, former Sonics followers? Does this one surprise you?